The Effect of Knowledge of In-group/Out-group Performance on Nonverbal Deductive Reasoning and Creativity: A Cross-cultural Examination

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how the knowledge of past in-group/out-group performance subsequently affected participants from China and the United States on tests assessing nonverbal deductive reasoning and creativity. Randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions (out-group better or in-group better), participants read results of past studies alleging either out-group or in-group members performed better on the same deductive reasoning and creativity tests they were about to take. Participants were also informed their performance on these tests was used to verify past results. Stereotypes regarding each country's anticipated performance were found. Disregarding past results, Chinese participants believed Americans performed better in the creativity tests while American participants believed Chinese performed better in the deductive reasoning tests. Significant cultural differences were found in the performances in the measures of the two cognitive abilities; the differences were congruent to the stereotypic perceptions, suggesting negative effects of stereotype threat prevailed in this study. ^